Game apparatus.



E. H. HEATH. GAME APPARATUS.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

APPLIUAYTIOF FILED MAY 10I 1909.

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GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, N309 954,627. Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

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EDWARD H. HEATH, OF HERINGTON, KANSAS.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

Application filed May 10, 1908. Serial No. 494,973.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWARD H. HEATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Herington, in the county of' Dickinson. State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Gaine Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a Stull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to game apparatus of the class ivhcrein a game board is employed in connection with a plurality of balls and an instrument for shooting the balls to cause them to traverse the game board, and has for one of its objects to improve the construction and amuse and instruct the players and stimulate their skill and interest.

lith this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereafter shown and de scribed and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred elnbodin'ieut of thc invention. Figure l is a plan viciv of the iinproved device. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the line 2 2 of Fig. l, Fig. 23 is a diagonal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. i. Fig. 4 is a View of the ball shooting implement partly in section.

The improved device comprises a board or base 10, preferably square and provided With a margin il entirely surrounding the board and projecting above the general sur face of the same, as shown. The surface of the board is provided with raised portions 12-1314-15 generally resembling in form a Maltese cross, the inner portions of the members l2 @#14 15 converging toward the center of the board and formed with segmental inner terminals llglS-rlt) deining a central circular portion 20, the latter preferably sunken or depressed slightly toward the center, as shown in Fig. 2. The members 12-l3--lf-15 are scparated by diagonally arranged spaces 21# 22-23 24 communicating at their' inner ends with the depressed circular space 20, and with their inner terminals curving inwardly as indicated at. 254-26#27 and 28. The diagonal spaces are thus formed with converging inner ends, to increase the ditliculty of playing the game as hereafter cio plained. Located respectively within the diagonal spaces are guide ribs 29-30--31- 32. spaced from the sides of the spaces.

Formed Within the members 12e-l Il 1 its@ l5 are ball holding depressions and 3G. the latter designed to hold the sup ply of balls in -onvenient position for use of each of the players. A plurality oi balls are provided, and represented at Iii". and a shooting implement or cue device like- Wise provided and constructed as illustrated in Fig. 4. This shooting implement cour prises a tubular stock 3S having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough to slidably receive a rod 89 which forms the shooting member of the device. The stock 25S is also provided With a longitudinal slot -lO having a lateral recess 4l, and the rod 39 is provided with a pin Hl2 adapted to enter one of these recesses and support the rod iu any required position Within the stock. Secured to the inner end of the stock is a tubular handle member 43 into Which the inner end of the rod 39 projects. The rod 39 is arranged to be spring-operated, so that it can be forcibly thrust forward to the extent equal to the range of the slot 40 and thus produces the shooting eiiect upon the balls. The spring element. is preferably formed from an ordinary rubber band connected between the inner member of the stock 3S and the inner member ot the rod 39, as shown. The handle member lil is de tachable from the stock 3S, so that the rubber band spring may be readily renewed when worn or impaired. By providing' a plurality of the notches il the pin l2 may be set in any one of the notches. and thus control the force of the drive imparted to the ball. Thus if the ball is to be driven with considerable force the rod 39 is moved inwardly and the pin 42 connected into the innermost. notch, so as to set the rod at its inner point, and thus enable it to exert its greatest force upon the ball.

Any number ot' persons may play the game. but generally tuo or tour persons will play. and when the game is to be played all of the balls except the cue"` balls are deposited in the central depressed portion 20, the depression of the central portion causing the balls to remain hunched at the center of the board as will be obvious. Fiat-h player is provided with a` 0110" ball. and the lirst player deposits his cue ball in one ot the guideways between the guide rib and the adjacent angular raised member and applies the point of the eue l or rod 39 to the ball by releasing the pin from its notch, thus causing the spring to project the eue against the hall and drive it into the central space 20, the curved inner terminals ot' the diagonal spaces causing the ball to be delleeted and strike oneofthebnnched ballsanddrii'e it out ot' the Central depressed portion into one ot the diagonal portions. The objecty of the game is to strike the eue hall with just sutlieient torce to piek ott one of the bunched balls at the center of the board and direct it into one ot` the diagonal spaces, and the torce with which the ball is struck by the ene eontrols this operation. The requisite force with which the eue hall is struck is thus under the control ol the operator and the skill with which the force ot' the impact ot the cue is controlled is acquired only by practice and skill, thus materially increasing the interest ot' the game.

Many rules may be adapted for controllingl the gaine but generally the result desired is to place the predetermined number of the hunched balls in the Circle and then shooting them out as above described. Each player shoots from an assigned corner of the hoard until he misses a` shot when the next player shoots. The player may shoot from the center of the diagonal space, or at any point along the side thereof as he may elect, and when he ltnoelis a ball from the central space he is permitted to shoot again until he misses. 1f the eue ball does not stay in the central circular space the player looses his turn. The player getting the majority, or making the highest score wins the game.

ed to project at equal distances from eachside of the base or body portion of the board, as shown, and the reverse side of the board is employed to support another game if preferred, but this second game does not form a portion of the present invention.

Vthat is claimed is- 1. gaine apparatus comprising a` reetangular board having a central depressed portion, a plurality ot recesses radiating 'from the central portion and communicating at their inner ends therewith, and guide ribs spaced apart and located within said recesses.

A game apparatus comprising a rectangular board having an elevated margin and with a` central depressed portion, a` plurality of recesses extending radially between the central portion and the elevated margin and eommunieating at their inner ends Wlth the central portion, and guide ribs spaced apart and loeated within said recesses.

ln testimony whereof, I atiix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWARD H. HEATH.

lVitiiesses F. D. GREWELL, Roer. C. SCHILLING. 

